Burden of Two Fates
by SilverBladeXx
Summary: Burdened twice over, Naruto is granted the boon of a new friend, and the inhuman knowledge her presence bestows. As insight brings madness, can Naruto overcome the new threats that appear, changing the world around him? Or will this madness consume him and bring ruin to the world he dearly loves? Strong!Naruto, Dark!Naruto, Bloodborne Crossver, rated T for language and violence.
1. A Plain Discovery

**Hey there everyone, Silver here with a treat for both you and me since I can't get the damn idea out of my head - I thought of a crossover with Bloodborne, and since in the past I got some requests for a darker, serious...er...Naruto, it works out nicely. So, this is a preview/prologue of the concept, and if it gets a good enough reception I can continue it, popping a chapter out whenever I don't have "Are You Truly Heartless" to update.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Bloodborne, any references I may make, so on and so forth. Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Konohagakure, Seven Years After the Kyuubi's Attack_

A soft rustling noise could be heard in the streets of Konoha. If it were to be followed, one would find it originated from a dumpster, hidden in the back alley behind a child's toy store. This store, quite popular amongst the children and some niche adults within the village, was known for its well-known foreign doll stock, though each type grew less popular as their origins grew further away. Within this store's trash deposit was a small creature, something many would assume to be a small animal looking for food. However, in just a few moments, a small child popped out, a mess of spiky blonde hair atop their head, somewhat tanned skin on a gaunt frame, covered only by a ratty white shirt and barely-fitting red shorts. This child, clearly a boy, was revealed to go barefoot as he hopped out of the large garbage receptacle, holding in his off-hand what appeared to be a doll, discarded for one reason or another. As soon as he hit the ground, he threw the tossed toy into what appeared to be a small pile of similar objects, and began to look through it anew.

This child, rifling through forgotten toys, was known as Uzumaki Naruto, pariah of the village and container of the Kyuubi no Youko, the demon fox that had nearly destroyed Konohagakure had it not been for the combined forces of the village shinobi and the sacrifice of their leader, the fourth Hokage. Known by the adults to be the demon's container, this boy had long since been hated and abandoned, unaccepted even by orphanages, and left to fend for himself.

As for what this child was doing, that was something only he knew; in his lonely life, all the boy could ever want is a friend, or at least something to keep him company. To this end, the outcast came to the store earlier in the day to try and see if the shopkeeper would give him a toy, but alas, he was thrown out with threats of violence. So, as the sun set and night overtook the village, he set out to dig through the discarded items, hoping to find something he could call his own.

With each doll and figurine he looked through, damaged and disfigured, he became increasingly frustrated. Faces mangled if not outright missing, body parts broken off and misplaced, many barely resembled their former selves, let alone a humanoid being. As he began to lose hope, he finally picked up one that seemed to be in-tact - almost untouched, even. Clearly western in design, this plain-faced female doll was missing only an eye, and its hair was slightly amiss. Given the trend the store followed, it was likely thrown out due to being undesirable among the children, despite the efforts to make it more appealing. The clothing on the toy was clearly not original, whatever western clothing replaced with a simple, slate-grey kimono and off-white obi, small wooden geta placed on its small feet. Its pure white hair, despite the bangs being mussed up, was pulled into a traditional bun, held with very simple wooden hairpins, the only decoration being a plain ball at the end. There was no paint on its lips or eyes, only furthering to emphasize its simplicity, but even seeing this, Naruto could not tear his own eyes away from it. Standing up with the doll held in both hands, he gently hugged it to his chest, signifying that he found the friend he was looking for. However, in his affection, he failed to hear approaching footsteps, only knowing he was seen as a glass bottle shattered against his head. Turning to face the direction, he spotted the store-owner, a slightly older man in plain clothes, seething with anger. Almost immediately, the small child turned and sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him, clutching the plain doll to his chest as though it were his most precious possession. The owner shouted after him, shaking his fist, unaware Naruto had made off with the tossed doll.

"That's right, you better run you demon brat! If I catch you trying to take my shit again I'll break your god damned legs!"

* * *

 _Half An Hour Later - Run-down Apartment Complex_

The sound of a slamming door and heavy breathing were the only things that could be heard within the building Naruto had run to, the complex long-since abandoned by its owners once the child had been granted the right to live there. As soon as he caught his breath, the boy stumbled to the center of the room, a worn futon the only thing to catch him as he collapsed onto his side. Still clutched in his arms was the doll he had pilfered from the trash, his face pressed against its surprisingly soft hair.

"I don't know why but...I feel so happy now...I don't ever want to lose you, Doll-chan..." the boy muttered to the motionless doll, weariness overtaking him as he drifted off to sleep. As his breathing slowed to a smooth, consistent rhythm, his mouth turned upwards into a content smile, the most natural one he had ever had in his seven years of life.

He slowly dreamed, dreaming of a large, empty room marked only by a massive cage. Nothing but shadow was beyond, though a presence could be felt. However, that was unimportant for the time being. On the cold stone floor of this room, Naruto lay, asleep, his head rested on someone's lap. A pale white hand gently carressed his whisker-marked cheek, the arm cloaked in gray. The stranger smiled softly as they stared at the boy's face, and they spoke, a soft, feminine voice echoing in the halls.

"Rest, sweet child...in your dreams, I shall return your kindness," she whispered, sincerity evident in her voice. "In time, you will pursue the echoes, and with my aide, they will become strength...rest well, sweet child, and may you find your worth in the waking world..."

* * *

 _Five Years Later - Konohagakure Genin Academy, Late Morning_

 _ **Naruto's Mindscape**_

Silence permeated the massive stone room that represented Uzumaki Naruto's mind, or more accurately, the representation of his Jinchuuriki Seal. Stood within the center of this massive room was the boy himself, the orange jumpsuit many know him by missing. Instead, he wore the most simplistic shinobi clothing, a black shirt over fishnet, black pants taped off at the ankle over black sandals, and a pair of goggles placed firmly over his forehead. On his waist was the traditional shinobi throwing-tool pouch, but next to that was the same plain doll he had rescued years ago, situated on his waist, held by a strap clearly designed to hold it as securely as possible.

However, in front of him stood another figure. A fairly average-height woman, dressed in the same garb as Naruto's beloved doll - a living embodiment only present within the boy's dreams. Her lips curled up in a very faint smile, as she gazed lovingly upon the child that had taken such care of her all this time. Nodding her head once, she addressed him with reverence.

"Young hunter, though it may be lacking, you have taken to my guidance with great ease. I only wish I could provide you with more, but the basic techniques of the hunters is all I have at this time," she said, the sadness towards what she couldn't do evident.

"No, Doll-chan, you taught me so much! Way more than anyone else did," replied Naruto, desperately trying to keep her happy. "It might not be shinobi stuff, but I can't expect you to know how to do it...even if I can't pass the exams, I'll still find a way to graduate."

Smiling softly at him once more, she glanced at the massive cage to their side, only briefly catching the flash of two massive red eyes in the darkness, before they disappeared without a trace. The presence of the Kyuubi had long since been a barrier to not only the boy's growth, but to his standing in the village, creating more trouble than they could deal with in many cases. Seeing the concern on her face, Naruto approached, embracing her with a deep-seated affection. Returning her attention to him, she closed her one remaining eye, wrapping one arm around the back of his head, her other hand resting on his spiky hair.

"Thank you, good child...but I must remind you, in either your world or mine, these acts of kindness are rarely treated with reciprocity..."

"I know, Doll-chan. I have to keep my emotions in check, and act without mercy; a single slip and the beasts of the world will eat me alive."

"Yes...but, it is time. Your trial approaches, young hunter. Farewell, and may you find your worth," the Doll said as she let go of him, stepping away. Another smile was her response as Naruto faded from his mindscape, and she turned to face the demon fox's cage. A miasma of red seeped out and pooled around the room, though it strangely did not touch her. A stern look came upon her face as she looked upon the beast's prison without a trace of fear.

 _Real World_

Raising his head from its place on his desk, Naruto looked around the room as though he had been awake the entire time, looking around at the various students that had already taken the Genin exam before him. As if on queue, a door leading to a side room opened and another student walked out, one Uchiha Sasuke. Furrowing his brow, the boy held back a glare as he looked at the stoic boy return to his seat, knowing full well that he passed the exam without any shred of doubt. Naruto considered the boy, the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan, his rival, though it was likely a one-sided belief. True to his clan's renown, the boy was skilled in nearly every aspect they were taught, something that gave the Uzumaki boy a strong desire to improve, despite his shortcomings.

"Uzumaki Naruto, your turn!" came from the doorway. Turning his head again, Naruto looked at the source of the voice; his favorite teacher and the only one to show him any kindness in the academy, Umino Iruka.

Standing up, Naruto began his approach to the exam room, walking down the steps and locking his gaze on it. Despite his apparent single-track focus, he could still make out the snickers and jeering of his classmates mocking him, believing that he'd fail completely. Paying them no heed, he finally passed by Sasuke, and heard him speak under his breath.

"Try not to embarrass yourself, dead-last."

Biting his tongue, the blonde held back the urge to yell at him on the spot, instead taking the dig as motivation to work even harder. With his inherent nature as a loud-mouthed, short-tempered joker, it was incredibly difficult to contain himself so, but after he learned how to communicate with his Doll's living form, he had learned much in that aspect, plus a few others he wasn't ready to display. Stepping into the exam room after the short trek, he quickly took his place on the x-mark on the floor, mentally prepared to give his all and finally graduate.

* * *

 _Several Hours Later - Outside the Academy_

Gently, Naruto swung back and forth on the rope swing in the Academy's yard, watching on with dead eyes as parents heaped affection and praise upon their children, all those who passed the Genin exam. As one could guess, the whisker-marked child had failed, and with no parents to console him, he was left to wallow in his depression. That is, until a figure approached, wearing the standard Chuunin uniform of Konoha shinobi. Looking up at this person, he was somewhat shocked to see Mizuki, a teacher at the academy alongside Iruka. A soft, caring smile rested on his face, something plainly visible even in the dusklight. As soon as he was close enough, he crouched down to meet Naruto's eye level.

"I'm sorry you couldn't make it this time, Naruto-kun. But it's not necessarily the end."

"What are you talking about, Mizuki-sensei...? I failed, no buts about it..." Naruto responded, hanging his head in shame.

"Well, what if I told you there was another way?" Mizuki retorted, a devious glint flashing in his eye as Naruto's head snapped up, the boy's deep blue eyes shining with newfound hope. "You see, there's a secret test that we don't normally tell students about, since its super hard. It'll be harder than anything we've ever done in class, but I'll tell you."

Nodding his head fervently, Naruto exhibited his willingness. Becoming a full-fledged shinobi was likely the only way he could gain any respect in the village, and the only way he could honor his Doll's teachings. Alongside this, becoming a Genin was the only way she'd tell him about the history of the Hunters she was so keen on him becoming one of, as proving he could go out into the world and survive was her requirement.

Leaning in close, Mizuki whispered the "test" into the boy's ear, who listened with more interest than anything before, committing it all to memory as best he could. Unfortunately, he could not detect the inconsistencies in the so-called test's secrecy, his focus on graduating too intense. As soon as the instructions were relayed, Naruto thanked his senior with gusto and took off to prepare. With him out of line-of-sight, Mizuki's smile turned to a vicious smirk, and he chuckled softly to himself.

* * *

 _Night, Hokage's Office_

Come the dark of the night, Naruto began his new graduation exam. As told by Mizuki, hidden within the Hokage's office was a scroll that contained many powerful, unique jutsu. Learning even a single one would automatically allow him to graduate, and this prospect was far too great for Naruto to stop and consider the implausiblity of this. However, of all the skills that he learned in the academy, his stealth was far above the standard, and he was easily able to slip past the security, all of which were at least medium-grade shinobi, Chuunin like Iruka and Mizuki. All seemed to be going smoothly until he got to the office itself, and was confronted with the greatest guard he could possibly find.

"Naruto, what are you doing in here so late at night?" came the voice of none other than Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage and Naruto's grandfather-figure.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Naruto stared down the leader of the Konoha shinobi, clenching his jaw and formulating his best possible option in this scenario. Sighing softly to himself, Naruto brought his hands up into the standard Ram hand sign, as the Hokage narrowed his eyes slightly, unsure what the boy was planning.

"Sorry Jii-san, Doll-chan, but I'm not letting anything get in the way of graduating, even though you guys hate this move..."

With that said, Naruto quickly flared his chakra and engaged his technique, and as a puff of smoke engulfed his body, the Hokage raised his hands slightly, getting ready to deal with whatever the child was planning. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for the smoke to clear and reveal an entirely nude, tall, adult, and female version of Naruto to appear from within it, remnants of the smoke only barely covering "her" body. Eyes wide as he stared on, the Hokage only lasted for a few seconds before blood erupted from his nose, knocking him onto the floor and unconscious. Satisfied that the last thing between him and the scroll was taken care of, he disengaged his "Oiroke no Jutsu" and advanced. It didn't take long to find the compartment where the scroll was hidden, and as soon as he had it, Naruto took off into the night, running to the forest and the location Mizuki told him to learn the techniques.

As soon as he arrived, Naruto took note of the surroundings, something he was specifically taught by the Doll. Other than the obvious trees, there was a small hut, a shrine placed for reasons he didn't know. None of it was particularly helpful for anything other than breaking line of sight, but that alone was a huge benefit in most cases. Nodding in satisfaction, the blonde preteen sat down and unfurled the scroll, looking at the first technique on the list to save time.

"Kage Bunshin...agh, why did it have to be clones...?" he said aloud, frustration evident on his face. The clone technique, in the academy, was his bane, and what cost him his graduation. To see that the first jutsu on the list was a variant of it hurt his morale significantly, but digging through the scroll to find a technique that suited him would hamper the time it'd take to learn them. Sighing in exasperation, he began studying the information on the technique, intent on proving his ability and passing the secret test.

As Naruto studied, the village soon went on alert. As soon as the Hokage had regained consciousness, he found Naruto's theft, and mobilized the shinobi to track him down. Included in those that began the search was Umino Iruka, arguably the best person to find him, considering his closeness to the boy. Even with this connection, though, it still took the course of hours to check every single possible place that he could have hidden, before realizing that even Naruto wouldn't be dumb enough to stay inside the village. With this realization, Iruka took off to look through the forested areas, using his own experience to look for any trace of where he went.

Surprisingly enough, it didn't take that long to find him once Iruka took to the forests. In little less than an hour he found Naruto, seated in front of the scroll and looking fairly deep into it.

"Naruto, what do you think you're doing?!" the teacher shouted, a mix of anger and concern on his face.

"I-Iruka-sensei! I didn't think I'd be found so soon...guess I won't graduate after all..." the boy responded as he turned around, pulling the scroll back to its closed state.

Confused, Iruka jumped down to ground level and looked down at him. The boy looked upset, but not for taking the scroll. Rather, he was upset that he had been found "so soon," as he said, as though he was expecting something other than a full-scale search for him.

"Do you know what you've done, Naruto? The Scroll of Seals is kept where it is for a reason - if the wrong person got their hands on it, it could be incredibly dangerous!"

"B-but, Sensei, Mizuki-sensei said that if I learned a jutsu from it, I'd be allowed to graduate!" Naruto said. Not sensing any dishonesty in his voice, Iruka knelt down to get to his eye level, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"That scroll is very important, Naruto...I hate to say it, but I think Mizuki was using you to steal the scro-"

Cutting himself off, Iruka picked his head up and looked around, something feeling off to him. Correct in this feeling, he quickly grabbed Naruto and threw him to the side, a barrage of shuriken and kunai embedding themselves in his body and throwing him backwards. Looking at the direction they came from, both Iruka and Naruto spotted Mizuki standing on a tree branch, two massive shuriken strapped to his back and a malicious grin stretched across his face.

"It's a shame that you found him, Iruka! Would have been so easy to just convince him to give me the scroll and off him right here, but now I've got to take care of both of you!" he spouted, cackling to himself maniacally.

"Mizuki, what are you doing?! Why do you want the scroll?!"

"Since you're going to die, I'll tell you!" he retorted, malice in his eyes. "Simply put, my power with the scroll will be infinite, and my master even moreso! We'll be able to destroy this damned village with ease!"

Eyes wide as he tore kunai from his legs, Iruka could only stare in horror at the plans of his supposed best friend. Pulling one of the large shuriken from his back, Mizuki began spinning it rapidly, laughing to himself once more.

"So, who do we want to off first? The talentless Chuunin that leeched off my skill, or the demon fox himself?"

"Mizuki, don't! Don't tell him!" Iruka shouted with desperation. Another weapon torn from his body as he attempted to get to his feet, keeping his eyes locked on the man now revealed as a traitor.

Glancing over to Naruto with his shuriken still spinning, he cackled again, using his free hand to point at the boy, still clutching the scroll.

"Oh, don't tell him that he's the Kyuubi incarnate? That HE is responsible for the destruction of our village?! That's right, brat! YOU are nothing more than a monster in human form!"

Believing himself to have disheartened the boy, Mizuki threw his head up and laughed loudly, only to be interrupted by an incredibly unexpected response.

"Not really. I learned about that guy a couple years ago, and I'm pretty sure that him being inside me isn't the same as being him."

"Wha...what? You...you knew about the Kyuubi...?" Iruka stuttered, stopping his removal of the implements and staring at the boy with a mixture of shock and sadness.

Mizuki, too, was shocked, even slowing his shuriken-spin as he tried to process both the fact that Naruto already knew of his burden, and that his plans to break the boy were completely sundered. Soon, however, that shock turned to fury, and the spin picked up to an even faster pace. Snarling, he moved forward with his plot.

"I-it doesn't matter if you know! You're going to watch your favorite teacher die in front of you, and then you'll go with him!"

With that, the silver-haired man pulled back and hurled the massive shuriken at Iruka, the blade twisting through the air viciously. Paralyzed from the various objects embedded in his body, he could only shut his eyes and prepare to feel the blade cut through him.

But that sensation never came. Instead, the man felt a soft breeze blow against his skin, following an odd noise. Opening his eyes, he saw Naruto standing before him, hand gripping the center ring of the now-still shuriken, scroll under his other arm. Almost as soon as he had moved, the boy stabbed the giant tool into the ground and tossed the scroll next to Iruka without ever turning, prompting a snarl and yell of frustration from Mizuki.

"Keep on eye on that, Iruka-sensei," the boy stated, his voice flat and almost malicious. Looking straight at Mizuki, he spoke louder, addressing him. "I'm not going to let you lay a single finger on him! I don't care if you're a Chuunin, Jounin, or even a damned Kage, no one hurts my friends!"

"Friends?! You really think he cares about you!? The Kyuubi, YOU, killed his parents twelve years ago, demon! If anything, he hates you more than anyone else!"

Before Iruka could respond to that and tell him otherwise, Naruto threw his hand to the side, clearly telling Iruka not to speak.

"It doesn't matter if he hates me or not. He helped me when I needed it most, and I plan to protect him in turn."

"Have it your way then, demon! I'll kill you in one shot!" Mizuki screamed out, leaping from the tree with his second shuriken in hand, planning to use it as a melee weapon.

With a massive swing the traitor looked to behead the boy, only to be met with thin air. Faster than Mizuki could even catch, Naruto had already moved to the side, and the boy brought his knee hard into Mizuki's gut. Not ready for the retaliation, the older combatant was sent tumbling away, only barely righting himself in a crouch as he held his stomach.

"W-when...did you get that fast...?" he questioned, the look of anger on his face now dotted with some kind of fear.

Not answering his question, Naruto brought his fingers up into a strange hand-seal, index and middle fingers of both hands held in a cross shape. Without uttering a word, he flared his chakra, and smoke enveloped the clearing. When it cleared, both Chuunin were astounded to witness a veritable army of Naruto clones everywhere, even in the trees.

"I know a lot of things you didn't teach me. I can add this to the list."

With that, the clones, or more accurately, the Shadow Clones all rushed Mizuki, beating him to a pulp without hesitation. Once he was clearly disabled, they all disappeared in a mass smoke cloud, leaving only the real Naruto standing above him.

"I was taught that mercy would be my downfall. It would be mercy to end you, Mizuki-sensei...so I'm going to let the village decide your fate," he said, his tone dark and filled with malice. Through blackened eyes and blood, Mizuki looked at him in fear, only his wounds preventing him from screaming.

Walking away from the fallen foe, Naruto moved over to Iruka, who had merely watched the beat-down with a mixture of pride, shock, and amazement.

"N-Naruto...that technique...you learned that in such a short time?" he asked, eyes wide and pain forgotten.

"Yep! It was kind of tough, but once I got it down it became super easy. I even had time to learn something else, but I'm gonna save that for a rainy day!" Naruto replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Matching the boy's smile with his own, Iruka raised a hand up as Naruto leaned down to help him, only to witness the boy fall over, unconscious. Obvious to Iruka, the strain of using the advanced technique en masse drained him, resulting in this reaction. With a soft smile, the Chuunin finished removing the throwing tools from his body before leaning Naruto up against a tree. Gently, he removed the ever-present goggles from his student's head, replacing them with his own headband.

"I think that you've shown you have more than what it takes to graduate, Naruto...I'll make sure it happens."

With that, Iruka leaned himself against the same tree, closing his eyes and joining the unofficial Genin in unconsciousness. From his office, the third Hokage watched the events unfold via a crystal ball, a smile on his face as well. Not only had Naruto proven himself many times over, but a traitor to the village had been rooted out and taken down, more likely than not making up for the theft of the scroll. Inwardly, the Sandaime noted he would need to pull some strings come the morning, but for the time being, he sent out a small squad of shinobi to retrieve the three in the forest and the scroll.

* * *

 **Whee, start of a new story. I hope you can see that I'm going for a stronger, more mature, and technically smarter Naruto this time around.**

 **As for the Bloodborne touch, it'll be far more than just the Plain Doll, but that's only as the story advances. Like I said, here's your Christmas bonus story. Please, leave a review and criticism if you have any. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Finding a Teacher

**So. Here we are again. I won't lie - headaches so painful I'd rather be dead are, again, the cause. That alongside my own inconsistency. So here it is - no excuse, no promises. I'll write when I can and post it, but that may be outside my power.**

 **Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto or Bloodborne, nor anything I reference in this story. Any and all franchises mentioned or written about belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

 _Morning - Shinobi Academy, Hokage's Office_

An evening full of excitement, danger, and heroism - these are the things the Hokage witnessed in his crystal ball the night before, and the subject of these adventures sat before him, an uncharacteristically serious look upon his face. To the Sandaime's left stood Umino Iruka, bandages wrapped around various parts of his body, evidence of Mizuki's betrayal. On his desk sat a small, plastic card, Uzumaki Naruto's shinobi ID. Surprisingly enough, it was completely normal - and that worried the old man. However, before he could voice his concerns towards the boy, Naruto spoke abruptly.

"Jii-san, I know that there are teams, and since I was late to the party, I haven't been assigned yet. May I make a request?" he asked sincerely, his brow furrowed, emphasizing his strange seriousness.

"You don't have much room to stand here, Naruto-kun," Sarutobi responded swiftly. "It took quite a bit of effort to even have you allowed in - what could you possibly try to ask for?"

With a sigh, the boy stared him in the eye, passion burning to no end. He stood up slowly, stepped forward, and then bowed sharply at the waist, an action he had never taken up to this point.

"Hokage-sama, please, allow me to become an oinin."

The Sandaime's eyes widened greatly, shocked at the idea that Naruto even understood what the oinin, hunter shinobi tasked with retrieving fugitives and engaging in covert deployments, were. A genin with subpar grades, and a special graduation condition, shouldn't know what they are, but somehow this was less surprising than the request itself. As the leader of Konoha prepared to deny this, he realized how much it must've taken the boy to drop his normal demeanor and humble himself for this request, and how much this must have meant to him.

"Naruto-kun, I cannot allow that at this time," he said, as the new genin's expression dropped. "However! You may be able to after becoming a Chuunin. For now, you would need a teacher that frequently goes on missions similar to the oinin."

Naruto's face brightened considerably, his body language denoting incredible excitement at the prospect of being allowed to follow this path after all. Before he could vocalize this feeling, though, the old man cut him off once more.

"I know just the teacher, but I am warning you - they are quite the handful, and may not even accept you as a student. You will have to convince them, and if you fail, you will be assigned to a standard Genin team later in the year. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes, sir! I won't let you down, I promise!" Naruto exclaimed, practically vibrating with elation.

The Hokage slid him a piece of paper, detailing where to find this mystery teacher, and as Naruto snatched the sheet up, the door to the office slammed open. Through it ran what appeared to be a child, wearing a strange helmet with a hole for his hair, a yellow shirt with Konohagakure's emblem on the chest, an oversized blue scarf, shorts, and typical blue shinobi footwear. However, the most important thing to note was the shuriken he was brandishing above his head, holding it in quite the wrong way, and sprinting towards the three already in the room.

"I've got you now, old man!" the boy shouted, clearly directing whatever ire he possessed at the Hokage. Of course, whether it be due to clumsiness of his age or just an utter lack of competence, the boy stepped on his obscenely long scarf and, as expected, tripped immediately.

However, where one would expect the boy to fall flat on his face and hurt his nose, he was instead caught barely an inch off the ground, his shuriken confiscated, and placed back on his feet before he could even blink. When he looked around to see what happened, all he caught was the sight of Naruto's back as he jogged excitedly to the door. The child, still unintroduced, merely watched, dumbfounded, as this random blonde kid just completely ignored him, even after saving him from complete humiliation.

Said blonde, on the other hand, happily turned up to a full run as he got out the door, passing by a blue-clad, sunglasses-wearing Jounin who seemed to be in a total panic. Paying him no mind, Naruto sprinted his way out of the academy and onto the streets out front, practically leaving a trail of fire in his wake as he sought out the person that just might teach him.

In his rush, though, he failed to notice a tiny figure chasing after him as fast as their little legs could carry, scarf fluttering in the wind.

* * *

 _Three Hours Later - Outside the Forest of Death_

Exhausted, annoyed, and depressed, the newly-minted Genin slowly approached the massive, fenced-in forest referred to as the "Forest of Death" by the villagers, a place that most civilians stayed far away from and many shinobi had fled from at least once in their lives. Only a select few had the nerve to hang around it, and the person he was searching for in specific was one of said few. The only reason he even bothered to come to this area, though, was due to the advice of the owner of a small shop that this person frequented. He was even nice enough to provide Naruto a gift, on the house, to give this hard-to-find Jounin to butter them up - a small box filled with a little treat called "dango."

Upon getting close to the fencing, Naruto caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye - someone lounging inside a small shack off to the side, dressed in a long, tan trench coat, blue-black hair up in a spikey ponytail, an off-orange skirt and a lot of fishnet, reclining in a chair with a wooden skewer balanced between their lips. Picking up his pace really quickly, the hopeful Genin moved towards this casual-looking woman, glancing at the paper for a brief moment to double check the info.

"A-ah, excuse me, miss? Are you..." he began loudly, moving his gaze back to the paper yet again out of uncertainty. "Are you Mitarashi Anko?"

After a brief delay, the woman looked up at him, her half-lidded stare reeking of irritation. Popping up from her recline, she stared down at the short boy as he got closer, pulled the skewer from her mouth, and addressed him in a quite familiar manner.

"Who the hell are you, short-stuff? And what on earth could you possibly want from me?" she said, her voice gruff but still distinctly feminine. Placing her hands on her hips, she shifted her weight to the side, raising an eyebrow while trying to glean anything she could from the whiskered boy that was calling on her.

Nervously, the demon-containing Genin responded, "I uh, was looking for you on Jii-sa...I mean, the Hokage's recommendation! He said you'd be a good Jounin teacher for what I want to do!"

A few, incredulous blinks were all the blonde got from the woman now-known as Anko, her mouth held tight in a mix of confusion and annoyance. She was very much unsure if this was some kind of prank, or if the kid was actually serious, before she made the connection and identified him as the village's resident Jinchuuriki. As if she had just made some miraculous connection, she gently hit her fist into the open palm of the other hand, looking up and past him and marvelling for a brief moment. Naruto merely watched on and began doubting the Sandaime's mental stability.

"Are you really even a Jounin...? The old man must be going nu-" he began to say to himself, before he was greeted with the sting of an open wound on his cheek. Eyes wide, he suddenly registered that Anko was holding a pose that suggested she threw something to cause that. Closer inspection revealed that the skewer she had previously been playing with was gone, and the warmth of blood trickling down his cheek told him just what had happened.

"I...didn't even..."

"See me move? Still doubt me?~" the woman's voice came from over his shoulder. Before the boy could even act in shock, he felt the wet, warm sensation of her tongue licking at the wound, and her derisive tone shook him briefly. Any reservations he had about her went out the window as he realized she not only attacked him faster than he could even register, but in the time it took him to make the connection, she had gotten in his blind spot. Leagues beyond what he had ever seen by shinobi til now, the boy immediately made a decision.

"A-Anko-san! No, Mitarashi-sama! Please teach me!" he said, turning quickly and bowing again, his apparent, new method of showing respect towards his superiors. Anko stared at him with a sadistic smirk, thoughts of how to torment him into leaving going through her head.

"No way, ya little brat. I don't teach, and I especially don't teach kids like _you_ ," she said, her tone mocking and haughty. As if predicting his reaction, though, she added, "Buuuuut...maybe you can change my mind if you do something impressive enough!"

Without missing a beat, Naruto removed the lid of the box he had brought along with him, revealing an assortment of dango on skewers - the same kind that Anko had assaulted him with - and presented it to her, a massive grin on his face, thinking he had trumped her. The Special Jounin's eyes lit up for a moment as she snatched the treats away from him, before regaining her composure.

"Ah, right...n-not good enough! Even if this is the good stuff..." she said, barely preventing herself from drooling over the free dango. "If you want to impress me, you'll have to survive for a while in there!"

A grand gesture led to her pointing at the caged-in Forest of Death. Once Naruto looked at it, Anko took the moment to snatch up and ruthlessly devour one of the snacks she had been delivered, with not even a moment given for manners, and returning to normal as soon as he looked back, despite the now-cleaned skewer hanging out her mouth.

"What's the big deal about the place?" he asked, his ignorance practically oozing off him. Anko looked at him dumbfounded, wondering how someone with as little knowledge as him survived until now.

"This place is Training Ground 44, AKA the Forest of Death. All manner of poisonous, venomous, and generally lethal creatures of excessive size live in there, and any shinobi worth their merit has spent some time in there at LEAST once!"

Looking back at the forest, albeit not without noticing the provocatively dressed woman gorging herself on the food once again, Naruto wondered if that was actually true or if she was just pulling his leg to ditch him. Both were very possible, and he was weighing the choices heavily. Noticing this, Anko stopped her feasting for just a moment, the skewers up to four.

"Listen, dumbass, I'm being nice since you gave me this stuff. You want to learn from me? Prove you can handle actual danger. Even the old guy in charge would respect someone that's been through that place."

"Alright, I'll give it a shot. And I'll make you see I'm a real shinobi!" Naruto said, approaching the fence without a shred of concern. A hand on his shoulder stopped him, however, and of course, it was the only other person he knew was nearby.

"I ain't taking responsibility if you get hurt in there. So you better be ready, got it?" she said, eyes far more serious than they had been prior.

Before Naruto could respond, however, they were both interrupted by the sound of the metal fence shaking. Both their attentions snapped to this, and both were shocked to see the boy that had attempted to attack the Hokage dropping into the forest, and running off. Eyes wide, Anko was frozen in place for a moment as she immediately recognized the strange outfit he wore. Even more shocking was that Naruto, despite not knowing him, had sprinted off and climbed the fence like some kind of rescue-monkey, rushing off after the boy despite having no knowledge of the forest's inner workings.

"Are...are you shitting me right now?!" she shouted, messing up her hair in frustration. It was fine for the trained genin to go in, even if temporarily, but the younger of the two was unacceptable, and might just mean her head. After she had a moment to vent, she charged the fence, somehow simply running straight up the surface like gravity didn't matter, and leaping in. Her moment of panic let them get ahead of her, and now she'd have to actually track them.

"HEY, KID, GET BACK HERE!" she shouted as she ran into the darkened forest. "Agh, the Hokage is gonna kill me if his grandkid gets hurt...!"

* * *

 **Here you guys go. Like I said, I'll do my best, but no promises or excuses. I might work on other stuff too. Please review, any criticism welcome if its constructive.**

 **Also Anko is the goddamn best.**


	3. Rescue the Honorable Grandson!

**Alright, Silver here again. I'm going to hold off on getting back into "Are You Truly Heartless" for a bit here - it takes a bit more out of me than these other two, and I need to think quite a bit more due to the radical differences in personalities and circumstances than with Change and Fates.**

 **Disclaimer: Me no own Na-ru-to. Me no own Bloodborne. Even caveman get!**

* * *

 _Training Ground 44, AKA Forest of Death - Midday_

Barely fifteen minutes had passed since the young boy, now identified as the one and only "Honorable Grandson" of the Sandaime Hokage, booked it into the Forest of Death, likely in some reckless attempt to get his grandfather to respect him properly. Of course, a child in a forest, with no map or adult to follow, gets lost quite easily, and this one was no exception.

"Nngh...w-which way did I come from again...?" the boy said to himself, sniffling occasionally as he looked around, treading slowly through the mossy grounds. All around him the foliage rustled and shifted, while whatever was inside made noises he had never heard before in his life.

As he carefully made his way through the terrifying forest, his food snagged on a root, causing him to fall face-first, hitting his forehead against cold stone. Standing up and rubbing his head, he prepared to move forward again, only to cringe in pain; his ankle had been injured from the trip. Tears welling up in his eyes, the boy didn't even notice the rustling high above him, as a massive leech fell from the treetops above, its carnivorous instinct detecting vulnerable prey.

Before it could land on the unsuspecting child, though, a glint of light tore through the trees, the leech split down the middle, down the length of its body, in an instant, the pieces falling harmlessly to either side of the boy. Startled, he looked up and around to see what just happened, and spotted the form of the blonde from his grandfather's office, holding a kunai dripping with the leech's bodily fluids. Naruto, his rescuer, quickly trotted over to the boy.

"What the hell are you doing you dumbass?!" he shouted, looming over the injured child, his tone harsh, but his concern palpable.

"I-I...I heard the lady say Oji-chan would respect someone that lasted in here..." he said softly, hanging his head and whimpering.

"Oji...wait, the old man's your...?" Naruto said, bewildered by this discovery. Truth be told, he didn't even know the old guy had a son, let alone a grandson.

"Y-you...don't know me? Everyone a-always does things for me because I'm related to the Hokage...you came in h-here without knowing...?"

"Well no duh, kid!" Naruto responded, brows furrowed in frustration. "I'm not gonna let some brat get offed just because I don't know them! That's stupid. Ugh...well, while we're here, what's your name?"

"K-k...Konohamaru..."

"Alright, Konohamaru. I'm Naruto. Lets get you out of here, yeah?"

With that little exchange, Naruto carefully hefted the boy onto his back, ensuring that he was secure before beginning a jog towards the outside of the forest. Behind them, masked by the sound of Naruto's footsteps, something crawled and slithered in pursuit, another massive predator seeing an easy meal.

* * *

 _Elsewhere in the Forest - Same Time_

 _Shit, shit, shit, shit...! Where did those dumbass kids go?!_

These were the thoughts echoing through Anko's mind as she scrounged the forest, looking for any signs that they had passed through the area. Because of the nature of the forest, creatures constantly passed through areas and messed up others' tracks, resulting in a hard-to-search environment, even for someone that knew the area like the back of their hand. As Anko prepared to charge off to the next zone, though, she heard yelling and crashing.

The instant the woman turned to face the noise, she found her targets...and their predicament. With Konohamaru on his back, and panic plastered to his face, Naruto fled from an absolutely enormous centipede, several kunai stuck to its exoskeleton and a pair of Naruto clones clinging to its long body, being flailed about mercilessly. The pair of boys yelled at the top of their lungs as the oversized insect pursued them relentlessly, a disgusting green fluid dripping from its mouth - likely venom.

"Oh my god are you KIDDING ME?!" she yelled throwing her arms up in exasperation. It had barely even been fifteen minutes and the two were already about to be eaten alive; however, she was somewhat impressed that Naruto was managing to keep them both alive. She figured that if it weren't for keeping the kid safe, he'd probably be totally fine alone. But that was something to think about later, now was the time for action.

In a burst of speed similar to what she used to mess with the spiky-haired blonde earlier, Anko blitzed the monstrous bug, dropping on it from above with a vicious ax-kick. The force of the impact sent the beast careening to the ground below, its exoskeleton shattering like glass at the spot where her heel made contact. Without even blinking she hurled a pair of kunai at the exposed, fleshy insides, pinning it to the ground with ease. On landing, she nicked her thumb with her canine tooth, before quickly slamming it to the ground. From that point, seals flared outwards, and a large puff of smoke engulfed the clearing. When it faded, Naruto and Konohamaru were granted witness to the sight of a gigantic brown snake, easily twice the size of the insect that was trying to kill them prior. Of the two, Naruto in particular was enthralled in its appearance, his eyes lighting up and his mind going elsewhere.

* * *

 _The Night after the Mizuki Incident - Naruto's Dreamscape_

Resting his head on the lap of his beloved Doll, Naruto reveled in his unorthodox passing of the Genin exam, his headband already manifested in the dream. True to her word, the Doll promised to tell her more about the world of the Hunters, and was currently trying to decide what story to tell. After a few moments of thought, she finally decided on one that might interest her young saviour.

"Listen well, young Hunter, for I shall now tell you of the Shadows of Yharnam."

"Long before I found my way to your hand, I once gave guidance to a Hunter that accomplished great things. One of the many powerful foes he slaughtered were the twisted sorcerers known as the Shadows of Yharnam, wraith-like monsters that had long since abandoned any humanity they may have had."

"The battle was fierce, as my dear Hunter was faced with greater numbers, fighting against a swordsman, a fire-spitter, and bombarded from afar by the three Shadows. This, though, did not faze him - he fought with courage, dilligence, and unforgettable elegance. With the techniques he wielded, the same I taught you, young one, he wore the three down, and soon, with a visceral blow, disemboweled the one who wielded a blade."

"His allies soon showed their twisted selves, limbs elongating like warped serpents. They struck from afar, raining down blow upon blow, leaving the Hunter with little room for error. Though he took a few stray hits, he would not falter, slowly advancing his way towards the next of the Shadows. Finally reaching it, he calmly knocked aside the sorcerer's desperate swing, and swiftly beheaded the monstrous being, felling him in one strike."

"The third finally revealed its trump card. Touching the ground, it called forth to malevolent forces, three enormous snakes, each scale as big as your head, fangs like swords, glistening in the dark. These snakes continuously flung themselves at the Hunter, but he was still too skilled to fail. Dancing through their onslaught, he finally reached the malformed caster, and split him in two, his blade not even taking on a drop of its inhuman blood. My dear Hunter, with his great skill and courage, took upon himself three horrifying creatures of evil, and struck them down, despite their ever-increasing numbers and reach."

"Young Hunter, take this tale upon yourself. No matter the circumstances, with skill and knowledge you can come out ahead."

When the Doll finished speaking, Naruto looked up at her, a smile on his face, the words forming an epic clash in his head.

"Snakes, huh...? I wonder if anyone can do that, or if it was just those weirdos..." the boy asked absentmindedly, which the Doll had an answer for immediately.

"Oh, young one, not anyone...only those with the tools to do so," she started, closing her one eye with a smile. "Even my dear Hunter attained the ability at some point - he attained a whistle, I believe called...'Madaras Whistle,' at some point in his journey. With it, he too could summon serpents to do his bidding."

A large grin crossed his face at this information, wondering if he could ever do something like that. "Madaras Whistle, huh...I hope there's something like that here, too!"

* * *

 _Forest of Death - Present Time_

"-id. He- -d! Kid! HEY BRAT!"

The sound of Anko's voice yelling in his ear brought Naruto out of his reverie. Shaking his head, he turned to look at Konohamaru, only to see him passed out, likely a combination of shock and relief. Looking back at the woman, he was surprised to see a look crossed between worry and frustration, rather than anger.

"A-ah, Anko-san...sorry for rushing in, I just did it without thinking..."

"Whatever. You guys are safe. Now, we have to get this kid back to safety before the Hokage has our asses on a silver plate," she replied, giving him a hand gesture to signal to follow her out.

The trip out of the forest was, surprisingly, uneventful. Any creatures that attempted to go after them met a quick end at Anko's incredible senses and aim, many being taken out before Naruto even knew they were there. In just a few minutes, the three were out of the forest, and on their way to the Academy building, ready to deliver the unconcious Konohamaru to his grandfather's care.

"So, uh...I guess you won't be teaching me...sorry for all the trouble, and thanks for saving me, Anko-san..." Naruto said solemnly, hanging his head ashamedly. Anko eyed him from the side, raising a brow at his attitude.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, blondie. I said if you impressed me I'd take you up on that. Who said you didn't?" she said, smirking slightly as he picked his head up fast, eyes glistening with excitement.

"You mean it?! Oh my god yes! Can you teach me that snake thing?! How about how you throw so well?! Can I be as fast as you!?"

Anko's eye twitched as she realized just what she had gotten herself into, the boy's exuberance and overall volume matching and even surpassing her own. Inwardly, she noted she had to be careful what she showed off, since he'd probably start demanding to know it himself. The kid was definitely going to be a handful.

After a good chunk of time passed on the walk, in part thanks to Naruto babbling like an idiot about the events that happened, the two arrived at the Academy building and made their way to the Hokage's office, both shutting up to prepare themselves for whatever punishment they'd get for endangering his grandson. Once given permission to enter the office, they stepped in. Anko was first to speak.

"Hokage-sama! I apologize, but the Honorable Grandson snuck past me into Training Ground 44! I managed to retrieve him before any fatal injury was caused, but he has twisted his ankle at some point!" she said, standing at attention and avoiding eye contact with him.

"Is that so? And what of Naruto-kun here? What does he have to do with this situation?" the Sandaime asked, a bemused smirk on his face, going unseen by Anko. Naruto took this one before Anko could react.

"This is kinda my fault, Jii-san. Anko-san was telling me that she'd teach me if I could last in the forest, and Konohamaru must've followed me after you sent me off. I think he went in because he thought it'd make you respect him."

"I see, I see...well, this grandson of mine has been quite a handful. Ebisu! Bring Konohamaru to the clinic!" the old leader announced, the same blue-clad shinobi Naruto had passed by earlier appearing in the office.

"Aaaah, Honorable Grandson, how did you let this happen!? And to be rescued by such a low-class shinobi, I'll have to be even stricter with my training...!" the man said in a panicked voice, prompting a subtle glare from all three other shinobi in the room. Nevertheless, Naruto handed the unconscious child off to him, the older man quickly disappearing to follow orders.

 **"** Now, as for you two..." the Hokage said, shifting his attention to the nervous shinobi. "As a grandfather, and leader of this village, I would be furious that my grandson was in danger under a Jounin's watch."

The pair gulped audibly, Naruto looking even more nervous than Anko. The latter shifted in place, worried that she had racked up another failure in her life, and her last.

"However, Konohamaru has long been in need of a reality check, and this might just do it. Since the Council and elders of the village likely would demand punishment..."

The two closed their eyes, expecting to hear themselves being dismissed from the shinobi forces.

"Mitarashi Anko, you are sentenced to lead a two-person squad. Uzumaki Naruto, you are hereby sentenced to stay under the watch of a certain Special Jounin."

The old Kage smirked as the two stared at him, both their expressions blank. It took a moment for it to sink in, and the two's reactions were...unique. Anko gave a giant sigh, realizing that now she wouldn't be able to ditch the kid if he was unteachable. Naruto, on the other hand, was elated, jumping in place with profuse thanks.

"As of this moment, you two will make up Team Anko, and starting tomorrow, will be eligible for taking on missions. I expect you two to take them on just like the other four-man teams."

And so, Naruto found his teacher - someone who could teach him the skills he could learn to be this land's version of a Hunter, and make his dear Doll proud. Now if only he wasn't paired with someone just like him; what kind of shenanigans could they possibly find themselves in?

* * *

 **And there you have it. Pumped out another chapter for ya'll, and I'll see about writing more for the others still.**

 **As always, please leave a review and constructive criticism if you have it. Silver out.**


	4. Training Begins

**Alrighty, I'm working...a bit...on "Are You Truly Heartless," but its slow going. Something about it throws me off so much harder than things like this.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own anything written about in here outside of original concepts. Naruto and Bloodborne belong to their respective owners, as do any other references contained within.**

* * *

 _The Day After the Forest Incident - Outside Training Ground 44_

After getting a good night's sleep and getting over the trauma of almost getting the Hokage's grandchild killed, Anko and Naruto met up outside the place of incident, ready to begin their first day as an official team. Anko, before the night ended, had apparently done some shopping; next to her, as she leaned against the metal fencing around the forest, was a small, but long box. There were no markings on it, nor any indication of what was inside. Something that was driving the young Genin insane as he sat cross-legged in front of her, eye twitching. Finally, his impatience caught up to him.

"Aaaahhh! What's in the box Anko-sensei!? Tell me tell me tell me tel-"

A kunai broke his train of nagging, his cut from the prior day's skewer re-opening. Naruto shut his mouth immediately, sweating nervously and grinning dumbly, resuming his silence. With a sigh, Anko got up from her lean, kicking the lid off the box and reaching inside. What she pulled out triggered Naruto to raise an eyebrow in confusion, tilting his head.

In Anko's hand was a coat almost identical to her own, albeit much smaller - in fact, it was perfectly sized for the boy himself. As he was about to ask what that was for, she tossed it at him. Instinctively, he reached to catch it, only to be floored, quite literally, as it impacted his body. The offending clothing was apparently weighted, and very heavily at that.

"You're slow, kiddo - at least compared to me. You're gonna start wearing that and work on getting faster. We'll add some leg weights when I think you're ready," she stated, smirking as he whined audibly over the grueling task ahead of him. Once she had her laughs, the woman pulled another, larger coat out of the box. "As a show of solidarity, I'm gonna do the same thing. Plus, think of it like...the team uniform."

A thought entered Anko's head for a moment after saying that, recalling exactly where she got the idea for the weights from, and just how disturbing those people's "team uniform" really was. Shaking her head, she began stripping off her own coat, only to notice that the spikey-haired boy looked away and averted his eyes clearly, face faintly red. A mischeivous smirk grew across her face, and she sauntered up to him. Leaning over, she put her face close to his.

"Ohh? What's the matter, brat? You embarrassed to see a _woman's_ body? Too used to seeing those undeveloped kiddies at school?~" she mocked, as Naruto's blush increased and sweat started pouring down his face. He was snapped out of his reverie by a swift chop to the top of the head.

"What the hell was that for?!" he shouted, reflexively turning to face his attacker, only to be met by the sight of...body-clinging, excessively dark fishnet that didn't actually expose anything.

"Yeah, I'm not a pervert. This stuff is like this for a reason - and that means we need to teach you two things," Anko stated, casually slipping on her own weighted coat like it was nothing. "One: You need to work on your poker face - you'll see a lot more from kunoichi out there. Two: We need to teach you how to counteract seduction tricks. Looking away or looking straight on are both bad moves."

One pout and whine about getting hit on the head later, Naruto finally got his coat on, and found his movement was incredibly stifled. Every part of the coat was extremely heavy, causing even lifting his arms or taking a single step to be exponentially more difficult than usual. Anko, however, seemed to be moving just fine, prompting a stare from him, his intent obvious.

"Don't get the wrong idea, brat. Mine's even heavier, I'm just stronger and more capable of wearing it. You'll see the difference when we get to training."

"Training?!" Naruto shouted in excitement, eyes lighting up. "What're we gonna do, huh, huh?! Summon snakes?! Shoot fire?! Blow things up?!"

His answer was another chop to the head.

"Like I said, you're too slow. We're going to be working on getting you tougher, faster, stronger, and honing your senses. And this time we won't have the smaller brat to mess things up. Oh, and don't worry about dying. Since I'm legally responsible for you now, I'll keep things from going sour."

After giving her trainee a little while to get used to moving with the added weight, Anko signaled for them to move on, opening one of the gates to the forest. Following her in, Naruto swallowed nervously as he remembered the creatures they encountered on the way out last time, wondering if he'd be able to do anything at all now that he was hindered.

The results were clear within minutes. No sooner had they lost sight of the fencing were they beset by the beasts of the forest, and Naruto was as poorly prepared for it as Anko anticipated. She had saved his sorry behind dozens of times already, many times without him even realizing it, and he felt the familiar feeling of helplessness coming over him. Noticing this clearly written on his face, Anko dispatched a predator hiding in the shadows and approached him.

"Yo, kid, I don't see why you're getting so down. It's not like this place was meant to be a picnic for ya," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. When he didn't respond she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to figure out how to get him out of that rut before this entire lesson fell apart.

"Okay, listen," she started, kneeling down to get to his eye level. "You're not going to get anywhere focusing on your normal senses. In this place, you've got to learn how to feel something we call killing intent, or ki."

Looking up at her, Naruto tilted his head, confused again. "I think I kinda get what you mean, but...?"

"...you are one dense brat. It's just what it sounds like - anything that wants you dead gives off a kind of sinister feeling. Even highly skilled shinobi exude a tiny bit of it, and you've got to learn to feel that out. If you can, it'll tip you off to attacks and ambushes. Now lets try this again."

Satisfied with her explanation, Anko hopped up into the trees, the branch noticeably bending under the weight of her new coat. Naruto, still a bit confused, decided to put everything into feeling out that so-called ki, shutting his eyes and ignoring his other senses. From his perspective, the world around him faded away, trying to feel nothing but that killing intent. Suddenly, something felt off. From his right, he felt an awful sensation, something akin to a pulse that made his blood run cold. Almost in instinct, he snapped his eyes open, turning just in time to hear the foliage in that direction rustle. A shuriken spun out, and the boy dodged it entirely on reflex, just barely avoiding getting his cheek cut once more. Eyes wide, he stared at the spot it came from, only for his newly-assigned teacher to drop down.

"There ya go! I'll admit I released a bit more than I should've to give you a hand, but you picked up on it crazy fast, kiddo!" the woman announced energetically, a wide smile on her face, eyes bright with the knowledge that she managed to teach him successfully.

"Uh...what would've happened if I didn't feel that in time...?" the boy asked, a grimace plastered on his face.

Anko hesitated, before laughing it off. "Hah, no need to worry about that! Now's the time for you to put what you learned to the test! Remember that feeling, and see if you can pick it up from some of the big guys out here."

Grabbing him by the collar, Anko dragged her Genin deeper into the forest, despite his flailing and resistance. For some odd reason, it was almost as if the restrained, undertrained, and inexperienced kid didn't want to attempt to avoid getting eaten alive by giant bugs and animals!

* * *

 _A Few Hours Later_

Difficult training produces wildly different results in everyone that undertakes it. Various factors like reason, willpower, and natural talent all have a part in determining this. In Naruto's case, this training had massive gains once he had the necessary knowledge.

By the time the sun even reached the middle of the sky, he had improved by a wide margin. All around him lay everything from centipedes to slugs to rodents, slain by his hand, various ninja tools embedded in their lifeless forms. Even Anko had taken some time away from watching him to get in basic exercises with her new handicap, and was astounded by his progress. Suddenly, and just in time for her to really gauge how he was doing, he whirled around, just in time to find a massive lizard of some kind charging at him on two legs. With a wicked underhanded right punch to its gut, the reptile was stunned. A simple kunai rammed through its throat dropped it, Naruto's movements much smoother and faster than when he first donned the coat. Wiping the sweat from his cheek and panting heavily, he turned to face his teacher and give her a proud victory sign. Anko merely shook her head with a smirk, proud of his strangely empowered progress, and entertained by his juvenile celebrations.

"Alright, Uzumaki. I think that's good for now," Anko stated, waving him to follow her. "We'll head back into the village for a while and take a break. Then we're upping the ante."

"...upping...what?" he responded, not sure what that term even meant.

"It means we're making this tougher. We're spending the night in the forest to really make you pick up on ki from a mile away."

"I feel like I should say you're insane, but at this point I'm starting to think this is you being nice..."

Anko merely laughed and patted him hard on the back, nearly knocking him over in the process. The return from the forest was rather uneventful, aside from a few creatures that popped out from the woodwork to interrupt. True to his progress, Naruto managed to catch a couple that snuck up, though his teacher took care of most of them once again.

Once the odd pair had exited the death trap of nature, they proceeded into town, only to cross the path of a rather unfamiliar face. Other than the standard Jounin uniform, this somewhat tall man wore a facemask, and a peculiarly angled headband, ash-grey hair sticking up in a clear defiance of physics. Anko seemed to recognize him, however.

"Ehhh, well if it isn't the copycat! Last I heard you were moping around. You get a squad too, Kakashi?" she asked, her questioning met with a blank, one-eyed stare.

"...oh, now I remember you. Mitarashi, was it? That was a good guess. I'm on my way to check how they're doing now, as it were."

"Considerin' how you act, I'm betting you're putting them through something nuts, right?"

Kakashi chuckled slightly, his one exposed eye arching upwards to reflect it. "I don't think its too harsh. Just some...team building. I really need to get the Uchiha to work with his team."

The mentioning of the name "Uchiha" immediately set off Naruto, who was content being ignored up til this point. Jumping in front of Anko, and between the two, just short of glaring daggers.

"You mean Sasuke, that stuck up jerk?!"

The Jounin stared down at him, leaning over slightly as if to get a better look.

"Hmm...I recognize you. If I remember right, you were supposed to be on my squad...so this explains why the sudden changes," he said, something odd changing about his expression. Almost as if he were staring through Naruto entirely, something that unsettled him greatly.

"E-eh...uhm, did I do something?" his voice squeaked out, his body trembling slightly under his coat. It might have been the training, but something in the way the tall man held himself set off warning signs all throughout the boy's body.

"Hm? Oh, no, I was just thinking of something," he stated, almost instantly switching back to that casual personality. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's about time I get back to my students."

Before either of Team Anko could say anything, the one-eyed Jounin vanished as though he were never there to begin with. Off in the distance, the clouds darkened and a bolt of lightning flashed, the odd weather totally isolated over a certain point.

"Huh. Never expected him to be the theatrical type," Anko stated, scratching the side of her nose with a half-lidded stare. "Anyway kid, I gotta take care of something, so meet me back at the gates at like, six-ish, got it?"

Her answer was a nod from her pupil, as she took off to the roofs, jumping away silently, even with the weights. Or, at least, that's what Naruto expected, before he heard the sound of shattering tile and the profuse swearing and yelling of some poor fool who had to fix an Anko-sized hole. Naruto grimaced as he already knew exactly what happened, before he walked away to find something to do.

* * *

Sadly, being the container for the demon fox that decimated the village over a decade ago means that "finding something to do" is an incredibly unreliable statement. Most places are off-limits due to people throwing him out or, in some cases, throwing things at him for even daring to enter the store. Others will simply ignore him until he leaves, denying service. Even places that don't require money to be spent aren't enjoyable, as the constant glares and hate speech from citizens and shinobi alike just ruin the experience.

As such, this led Naruto to find a quiet, safe place to relax, and enter the sanctity of his own mind. Despite it only being a few days since their last talk, it felt like an eternity had gone by since his last talk with the Doll.

Carefully, Naruto layed down at his location of choice - within the shadow of the Hokage Monument, under the watchful gaze of his idol, the Yondaime Hokage. Eyes shut slowly as he entered his mindscape to meet his closest friend once again.

* * *

 _Naruto's Mindscape_

As he "awoke" within his mind, Naruto was met with the same kind, gentle smile of the Doll. A gentle bow followed suit, and the boy ran up to her with glee.

"Doll-chaaan! How are you!? I'm so sorry I haven't come to talk lately!" he spouted as he hugged her tightly around the waist. She simply stroked his hair gently, assuaging his unnecessary feelings of guilt.

"Fret not, dear child. I am always with you, and you with me. Never are we apart..." she consoled him softly, returning his embrace after she had calmed him. "I know all of what has transpired, and I am proud of my growing Hunter. As your reward, would you like another story?"

"Y-yeah! That'd be great...!" he shouted in response, plopping himself down cross-legged in front of her. With much slower movements, she gently knelt on the ground, resting her porcelain palms on her lap.

"As you have witnessed an act of blood by that woman's techniques, I believe it is only fitting to tell you the tale of the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst, or as many referred to him...the Chikage Hunter."

Naruto blinked at her, recognizing that she had just used a word that didn't fit her land's language when referring to them, and instead, used one from his. As he stared at her, confused, she giggled softly, as if amused by his reaction.

"Yes, my child, that is a word of your land, not mine. He was named as such for the weapon he wielded, the Chikage. Though modified, it is a weapon of this land - I believe, called a 'katana,'" she stated matter-of-factly, and Naruto's face lit up.

"Was this guy from here?! How did he get it?! What was he like?!" he babbled, practically vibrating with excitement at the idea that their lands were connected in some way. If that were true, then it was more possible than he thought to become a true Hunter.

"Be still, child. I will explain to the best of my ability."

This got him to quiet down, blushing softly as he realized how immature he was being again. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, and stared at her, smiling from ear to ear.

"Now...this Bloody Crow, wielder of the Chikage, was an odd man. It is believed he had long gone mad of bloodlust, and in his madness, struck down an ally of my last Hunter. Though her tale will wait til another day, Eileen the Crow was a skilled, if aged, woman, and the Hunter chose to avenge her."

"Entering the Grand Cathedral she had been defeated in front of, the Hunter saw this Bloody Crow, boots caked in Eileen's blood, his demented eyes peering through a beak-like mask. Upon approach, this slayer walked forward with murderous intent, brandishing the Chikage and a simple repeating pistol. Ah, lest I forget, that is one of the many 'guns' I have mentioned prior. That type simply fired two projectiles in rapid succession."

Naruto nodded eagerly, making a mental note of that for future use. Though he had no idea if firearms existed anywhere around the shinobi world, remembering these things might be useful.

"Continuing. Once the two were within striking distance, a brutal duel of skill and bravery began. Though my Hunter possessed exquisite reach with his Threaded Cane and standard pistol, the Bloody Crow was quite the opponent - every step served purpose, weaving betwixt the Hunter's flurry with astounding skill. Even in his bloodthirsty state, he retained all his previous ability, and proved quite the challenge. That is not to say my Hunter was outmatched in any sense, however; just as the Crow could evade all of his strikes, he could avoid their's."

"This exchange went on for quite some time, though stray hits slipped through the cracks of their agility as they grew tired. Finally, my Hunter learned of the Crow's patterns, and snuck a shot of his pistol into the killer's stomach. Coiled over in pain and shock, my Hunter reared back with his right hand and plunged it into his chest, ripping it out, drenched in the vital fluid that dictated their power."

"It ended just like that? With one hit?" Naruto asked, his voice downtrodden and his mood deflated. "That's hardly an exciting story..."

"Now, now, my child. When did I say the Chikage wielder was felled by such a blow?" the Doll responded, smiling slyly as her ward's expression picked back up.

"By this time in his travels, the Hunter knew his foe would not be struck down so easily. Quickly, he backed away, not at all surprised to see the Bloody Crow stand back up without even a stumble. Such a wound was trivial in deadly combat between Hunters, but he had struck a nerve in the Crow."

"He let blood cover his hand, and then slid it onto the flat of his weapon. A hidden, rippled engraving was revealed as the blood soaked it. Soon, more blood than was spilled dripped from the blade, and the Bloody Crow's namesake was revealed. Chikage practically oozed power, and he was almost a new warrior."

"With relentless fury he attacked the Hunter, blood spraying around the cathedral with each swing. Despite this, an endless flow of the crimson life essence continued to come forth. Put in a corner, my Hunter did all in his power to fend off the bloodied warrior, and came to notice a peculiarity - as the Crow continued his assault, his movements slowed. The Hunter knew exactly what was going on - the Bloody Crow was using his own life to increase the power of his attacks."

"Taking a chance, the Hunter took a risky approach, barely slipping past his foe's blade and into his blind spot. With a powerful thrust, he impaled the Crow's skull with his cane, and the man dropped, dead on the spot. Covered in both his own blood and that of the Crow, he returned to the Hunter's Dream with Chikage in hand, and told me of his triumph. After his Hunt ended, the Chikage was lost to us, neither in our land nor the Hunter's dream. Mayhaps, someday, you may discover it yourself, dear child."

Naruto hopped up as her story ended, eyes sparkling as he absorbed the knowledge she bestowed. Even the name of the weapon he learned of hit something deep inside him - the Chikage almost seemed like fate tempting him, imparting the same kind of title as his dream of becoming Hokage.

"Doll-chan, that story was so cool! I don't know who's more awesome, your Hunter or that bird guy!" he yelled out, fantasizing about wielding a sword like that. He was snapped out of his daydream as the doll laughed softly again, covering her mouth with her left hand.

"Do not get too excited, dear Hunter-to-be. The odds of finding that blade in this land after it had left so long ago are much too high. I would suggest finding something less...lost, I suppose the word would be," she replied, her expression soft, her single eye glistening with affection.

"Heheh, sorry. It just sounded so cool!"

As the Doll stood up, a strange sensation came over Naruto. It hadn't happened in a while, but something, or someone, was attempting to wake him from his rest in the real world, and a frown came over him.

"Sorry, Doll-chan, but I think I've gotta go already. Is that alright?" he asked solemnly, clearly reluctant to leave.

"It is quite fine, dear child. I will always be here to welcome you."

With a wave and a smile, Naruto left his mindscape once more, leaving the Doll beside the massive cage. This time, the eyes and malignant aura did not show themselves, though a malevolent presence could still be felt. The Doll stood quietly, eye shut as she waited for the genin to return.

* * *

 **That's it from me for now. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review/constructive criticism if you have something to say. Knowing all of you out there are reading my writing and even favoriting the story or myself as an author means a lot.**

 **Side note: I love Anko's english VA. The voice fits the character beautifully.**

 **Anyway, Silver out.**


	5. Getting Some Help! And Anko's Secret?

**Hey all, Silver here with the next part of Burden of Two Fates. I've been thinking of this a bit, and I feel like calling these "chapters" isn't really apt. I don't really have enough to call it that.**

 **Side note, guess who seems to be cursed with "universal motivation denial"? That's right, me! Literally the day after I posted last my computer broke and needed to be fixed. Didn't have it for most of the month. What even.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' here but original concepts. And lets be honest, those are few and far between.**

* * *

 _Real World_

Slowly opening his eyes, Naruto was greeted with the looming gaze of the Hokage Monument once more, a near-cloudless sky drifting along above. Unfortunately, that lovely view was soon broken as he felt an object prod against his cheek repeatedly, likely the sensation that brought him out of his meditative state. Turning his head to get a look at the source, regret was his only discovery, as said object poked his eye almost immediately. Jumping up and clutching at the eye, an obscenity slipped out. A light cough caught his attention, considering that it was an adult voice. Turning once more, he found himself having to look upwards at the taller person - a familiar one at that. The sunglasses-wearing guy they handed the kid off to the day before!

"It would be greatly appreciated if you wouldn't spout such profanity in front of the Honourable Grandson, _boy_ ," he stated coldly, a harsh glare practically burning through the round, obscuring eyewear.

His statement, though, clued Naruto in to the culprit of his ocular assault. Hiding behind the older man's leg was, surprisingly, Konohamaru, clutching a stick in his right hand, apparently frightened by the outburst.

"Erm. Sorry, I guess? I mean if he didn't nearly poke my eye out...anyway, who're you again? Something to do with...shrimp?" the blonde asked, rubbing his eye gently.

"Hmph! I am the Jounin appointed to both care for and teach the Honourable Grandson," he stated, adjusting his shades with one finger and scowling at the imagery the child implied. "I am Ebisu, and you will treat me with respect, as I am your superior."

All that statement got in response was a disbelieving stare from Naruto, his grimace clearly indicating dislike for the haughty man before him. The guy clearly had some kind of superiority complex, but at the very least his behavior didn't seem to have anything to do with the fox demon. He was just a jerk.

"Right, superior, whatever. Why's Konohamaru here and why was he doing the thing?"

Ebisu's eye visibly twitched underneath the sunglasses, and he quickly adopted an aggressive stance, raising a fist and preparing to yell at the Genin, only for the aforementioned grandson to run out from behind him, happily approaching his rescuer now that he wasn't angry anymore.

"Hi, Naruto-sama!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, raising a hand above his head. "Oji-san said that I should thank you and the coat-lady, so I had Ebisu-sensei help me find you! So, uhm, thanks for saving me and stuff! You were really cool!"

The thanks itself didn't really register for Naruto - neither did the last statement. What did register, however, was the respectful honorific that the kid had attached to his name. A huge grin spread on his face as he realized the brat was addressing him as a superior and with respect. As he prepared to respond, though, Ebisu interrupted again.

"Honourable Grandson! Do not use such ways to address this ruffian! Even if he did take part in your rescue, he is far inferior to you in both social standing and talent!" he shouted, prompting a glare from both of the youngsters present. Recoiling, he readjusted himself, sweating visibly under the threat of his young ward hating him. Naruto took the moment to speak to Konohamaru without interruption.

"Okay, so, you think I'm awesome and want to give me thanks. But, just a thank you for saving your life is a bit weak, dontcha think?" he stated, his grin returning as Konohamaru tilted his head.

"H-hey! Don't you dare think of exploiting the Honourable Grandson you wicked little brat! You should feel honored to have the opportunity to even talk to him!"

The two ignored Ebisu's ranting, Konohamaru looking up to his new idol. "Yeah, I figured that'd be the case. I don't really have much, but I'll try to help!"

With that in mind, the jinchuuriki paused to think for a moment, gripping his chin gently. The present Jounin fumed silently as he was ignored, gritting his teeth hard. The only thing keeping him from dragging the kid away was the fact that this was essentially an order from the Hokage, as Konohamaru wanted to "thank" the bewhiskered boy properly. He was broken out of this, though, as Naruto snapped his fingers, kneeling down to get on the smaller boy's level.

"Listen, this is a rare chance for me. You're likely the only person that can help me do this right now," Naruto said, putting his hands on Konohamaru's shoulders.

Confused, the young boy looked at him with a strange face. "Uhh. I mean, if you think I can do it...but what is it?"

"I never thought I'd say this...like, ever, but..." he stated, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself for his out-of-character statement.

"Get me into the library!"

* * *

 _Shinobi District_

A few minutes later, with the supervision of Ebisu for what he claimed was "keeping the Honourable Grandson from corrupting influences," the trio finally arrived at the Shinobi Library, a veritable treasure trove of techniques from not only Konoha, but all across the lands. While things like clan secrets were kept within their respective compounds, there was still a large wealth of knowledge to be learned from. Various shinobi, young and old, occasionally passed in and out of the large doorway leading into the library, some carrying various books and scrolls that were allowed to be checked out.

Standing outside and staring at the building, Naruto and Konohamaru sported identical stares of regret and distaste, both clearly very hesitant to go anywhere near the place. A soft throat-clearing from Ebisu brought them out of their haze, though, and prompted Naruto to psyche himself up. With a wave of the arm from Naruto, the three stepped forward into the building.

That confidence was met with resistance almost immediately. Standing up from behind the front desk, an elderly woman slammed her hands down with an angry exclamation, her bland outfit and greying hair making it fairly obvious that she was the librarian on staff at the time.

"No, absolutely not! I will be damned if _you_ of all people enter this place!" she practically shouted, hair falling against her face as it slipped from her tight bun. "Only despair could come from dem-"

"Uuuhhm, excuse me, but I wanna go with Naruto-sama into the library, miss," Konohamaru interjected, giving her a wide and toothy smile. The librarian clasped her hands over her mouth, immediately recognizing the Hokage's grandchild and his Jounin instructor.

"O-o-of course, of course! I w-will not argue if the Honourable Grandson wishes to bring a guest to study...!" she stated, bowing deeply and sweating profusely. Exchanging grins, the Genin and his newfound follower slapped each other a high-five and wandered in, Ebisu following, though not without thanking the librarian for her patience.

"Y-you can't check anything out though! And I'll check if anything's missing!" she yelled after them, biting her thumbnail as she reflected on her predicament.

Walking deeper in, Naruto began slowly looking over the well-labeled collection of history and practical knowledge, pursing his lips as he clearly began looking for something specific. Konohamaru, oddly observant, couldn't let that go.

"So, uhm, you never said why you wanted to come to this...place..." he said, looking to the side and grimacing as he acknowledged being in this place.

"I'm trying to find some info," the blonde responded, squinting as he tried to read some words he hadn't seen before on a book spine. "Its gonna sound a bit weird, but I'm interested in finding something about swords that use blood."

Konohamaru's eyes lit up at the description of something so cool, and began running around the shelves, looking for anything that might sound like it was related. Mid-way through, he looked over at the stoically observant Jounin stalking them.

"Hey, Ebi-sensei, can you help look too? I know you come here a lot to prepare your lessons, right?"

Ebisu twitched visibly at the shortening of his name, but quickly regained himself. "P-please, Honourable Grandson, do not imitate that boy's name-changing tendencies..." he said, adjusting himself with a frown. "I will say, I expected this child to drag you into some degenerate, perverse behaviors, like hot-spring-peeping or the like...out of respect for his interest in learning, and your request, I shall help. But I expect hard work from the both of you!"

With that, the Jounin sped off, hopping between shelves at break-neck pace, almost like he already had an idea of what to look for.

As time passed, a small pile of books and scrolls built up on a nearby table, the topics ranging anywhere from a history of blacksmithing to scientific studies of the human body. Various scrolls about sword techniques and blood-using techniques sat unfurled across the laquered surface, with the boys struggling to read through some of the more difficult concepts. The blue-clad adult continued his intellectual pursuit, stopping occasionally to assist Konohamaru in his reading, and sometimes perusing the accumulated information himself.

After what felt like hours, the jinchuuriki boy finally broke, dropping his head onto the table, the impact hard enough to make the pile bounce up for a moment.

"Aaaa-aaah...this is pointless...only thing I've found is some giant-ass hunk of metal that can repair itself with blood, but that thing is so huge and unwieldy, and it belongs to some super-strong swordsmen group..." he whined, nose red from where it hit the table. "I'm not gonna find anything at this rate..."

"Hey, uh, Naruto-sama, I didn't find what you were looking for, but I did find something pretty neat you might like!" Konohamaru said, bringing an old, yellowing scroll his way. Excited, the older of the two slid over and grabbed the item, pouring over it with great exuberance.

"Curse Seal: Blood Brand...previously classified as a Forbidden Technique, taken off that list when application and use were revolutionized and made safer..." he read, eyes wide with interest. "Crimson Drill...Blood-rending Claw...works well with shinobi tools...this sounds amazing! H-hey, Ebisu, can you write this stuff down for me?!"

Responding to the boy's request, Ebisu appeared in a blur next to him, leaning over and taking a peek at the information he was reading. His mouth opened slightly as he looked at the history of the Seal, which Naruto had skipped in his eagerness.

"I-I do not think allowing a Genin to gain access to such a thing would be wise..." he started, before catching the looks of eagerness on the two boy's faces. He sighed, continuing himself. "But...despite my better judgment, I will follow along. I do not believe it will be easy for you to get the necessary approvals for this, anyway."

Silently, the man pulled out a notepad, copying down the relevant information from the scroll, both in terms of "learning" the art, as well as the various techniques and their descriptors, though with some language alteration to better fit Naruto's subpar education. Once finished, he handed the papers to the boy, and began returning the books and scrolls that were ultimately useless, muttering to himself about being made an errand boy for a street rat.

"Man, Konohamaru, this is so huge! I can't thank you enough! In fact, if there's anything I can do to help you out from here on out, just lemme know, okay?"

Konohamaru lit up at the praise he recieved, grinning widely. "Eheheh...its no big deal! I guess being Hokage's grandson isn't so bad some...times...hey, uh, Naruto-sama, do you know her?"

Naruto stared down at Konohamaru in confusion, extremely unsure why he cut himself off, and even moreso who he could possibly be referring to. His question was completely unnecessary, however, as he felt what could only be described as "a world of suffering that's completely deserved" looming behind him. Slowly, he turned around, pale and sweating buckets as he laid eyes on a fuming Anko, her murderous intent practically visible to the naked eye.

"A-ah...Anko...sensei..." he started, glancing at a nearby clock, and seeing the time read 7:34. "E-erm...I-I have a good reason for being l-"

His pointless attempt at excuses was met with Anko's palm on his face, the boy flailing like mad as he was lifted up, extra weight and all, and dragged out like a body-bag. Even the librarian could only stare with wide-eyes, her inherent dislike for the demon host overriden by a sense of pity and self-preservation. Ebisu, returning from his book-transporter status, was filled in by Konohamaru, the young boy frozen in place in fear of the "scary coat lady."

* * *

 _Outside the Forest of Death_

After what felt like an eternity of kidnapping, Naruto found himself being hurled away by the enranged Special Jounin, tumbling across the grass and impacting against a metal fence, denting the structure with ease. Even without looking he could tell that Anko had brought him back to the Forest of Death, likely just out of habit, considering her state of mind.

"L-Listen, Anko-sensei, I can s-seriously expl-" his excuse was cut off as a set of shinobi tools pinned his pants to the ground, barely missing his legs and keeping him set in place, the tools sinking in deeply.

Still emitting that horrible sensation, Anko fished out a set of papers from her coat - the same ones that Ebisu had written down at the boys' request. Leaning over him, eyes aflame with anger, she held them to his face.

"You get. One chance. To answer me," she said through gritted teeth, her arm shaking as she restrained herself. "Why the hell are you looking into cursed seals, you little shit?!"

Something flashed in her eyes as she mentioned the words "cursed seals" specifically, and Naruto's face fell slightly. For a moment, he was silent, mouth partially agape as he simply held eye contact with her.

"Ahm...I don't really know what a cursed seal is exactly...Konohamaru was helping me look for a sword I was interested in," he stated, maintaining eye contact with the woman. "He pointed this thing out to me, and it was just something that fit my interests."

Silence once again fell between the two, Anko narrowing her eyes as she gauged the truthfulness of his answer. Naruto, unsure of why exactly she was so angry still, just did his best to keep on her level, although on the inside he was holding back a wall of dread. Finally, his teacher broke the quiet, sighing audibly and standing up to her full height, hands placed on her hips and still holding onto the notes.

"Alright, I believe ya. This thing doesn't really classify as a curse seal anyway, but I can't be too careful anymore," she said as she folded up the papers, sliding them into her coat. As Naruto went to protest, she held up a finger. "That ain't to say its safe. We're gonna have a long talk 'bout how dangerous this thing is before I even consider lettin' ya get it."

Once she was certain her point had gotten across, Anko knelt down and began removing the pinning shinobi tools from Naruto's clothing, that terrifying aura entirely gone. However, the scary-coat-lady could still feel the piercing cerulean gaze locked onto her, even without being able to see his eyes herself. As she went to give him the go-ahead to talk, he beat her to the punch.

"Anko-sensei, why were you so pissed? What's the big deal with 'cursed seals'?"

Removing the last implement that pinned the boy to the ground, Anko slipped it into one of her pouches, before plopping to the ground with an audible thud, the weight of her coat adding enough to shake Naruto. The older woman looked at him with a strangely soft gaze, though it was clear she wasn't looking at him - she wasn't looking at anything, really. More like she was gazing at some distant object as she gathered her thoughts. After some time of this, her eyes slowly focused on his own, looking deep within as though to ascertain his own mindset. What she saw was a deep-set determination and sincerity, a foundation of belief that told her she should take a risk.

"...hah...alright, listen up, brat. I technically shouldn't do this, because its soooort of a village secret, but...this needs to happen before its too late," she said calmly, taking a deep breath to steady her thinking.

"Curse seals are...a really screwed up technique, no matter what. Every form of them are used, without fail, to control someone and force them to do things against their will. Even if they come with some kind of benefit...that just means the downsides will be that much worse."

At full attention, Naruto sat with his legs crossed and hands on his ankles, staring intently at his sensei, wondering just why she knew this stuff, and why it was a "village secret." However, he had no intention of interrupting, knowing full well that if she was acting so calm, this must be important.

"The reason I was so mad is because I was a victim to a curse seal. I won't tell you anything about the one that did it to me but...he's a horrid man. Because of my association with him...I was an outcast, just like you. So we're pretty similar on that front, what with your jinchuuriki seal and all. In fact, I believe the seal used on you is classified as a curse seal as well."

"I guess that's actually kinda good to know, Anko-sensei. But what makes your seal so bad?" Naruto asked, rocking in place as his mind buzzed with more questions than answers.

"Like I said, its a method of control. That man...at any moment, he can use that seal to inflict immense pain on me, or warp my mind and influence me to do something against my will. However...this was for the promise of power. I refuse to do it, but if I wanted to, I could release this seal, and grant myself an incredible boost in strength, at the temporary cost of my humanity. Because of this, though, the Hokage had a special containment seal placed on it to limit the effects as much as possible."

"That...sounds really cool and really lame at the same time. But you make it sound like you weren't entirely...unwilling to get it...?"

Anko looked away, eyes growing dull. "That's right. I trusted this man with my life a long time ago. And he used me. Not only me, but others...of the ten people he tested this seal on, I was the only one to survive. That's why I was so angry when I saw you looking into anything labeled a curse seal...not only are they dangerous, but the memories I have bring so much trauma with them that I can't help but become irrational."

"That makes sense. I can't really argue with you on that one," Naruto stated, grinning widely, although it was clearly a forced attempt to lighten the mood. "But, but, you said this one wasn't really a curse seal, right? That it was just called it because it used to be risky, right?"

"...alright, you got me there," she said as she resumed eye contact with him, getting up to her feet. "But, we're putting these talks on ice. You're too inexperienced for something like that, and we have to get to some...camping."

Naruto shivered heavily as she approached him, a delinquent glint in her eyes, the previous heavy air almost entirely dispelled. With what felt like clear malice, Anko cracked her knuckles, prompting the Genin student to scramble to his feet and make a getaway. That is, an attempt at one - before he could even get a foot away the dangerous woman snagged his coat's collar, dragging him towards their "official" training ground. With little effort she shoved one of the numerous gates open. Despite his protests, she giddily pulled him into the darkness of the foliage, cackling like a witch.

"Oh we're gon' have FUN tonight!"

* * *

 **And there you have it. Like always, please leave a review, especially if you enjoyed my writing. If you have a question, you can always ask there or send a PM. Constructive criticism is welcome and wanted.**

 **I'll be working on Are you Truly Heartless next, barring another catastrophic computer failure. Because what the actual hell.**

 **Silver out, thanks for reading!**


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